Billie Martinez Elementary School students Abigail Appelgren, 5, and her brothers, Joseph Appelgren, 12, and Dylan Appelgren, 9, do sit-ups during a Build Our Kids’ Success exercise program last week. The program, funded by the Active Schools Acceleration Project, is part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to keep kids active.

Billie Martinez Elementary School students exercise during a Build Our Kids' Success program last week. The program, funded by the Active Schools Acceleration Project, is part of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign to keep kids active.

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Learning to eat healthy is a whole lot easier when you’re 10.

Forget calorie counting. Forget balancing carbs and proteins with fruits and vegetables. And say goodbye to Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem. Just remember there are everyday foods, and there are sometimes foods.

And there are two simple ways to tell the difference. Everyday food will taste the same if you run it under water (for example, fruits and vegetables) and sometimes food sticks to your teeth (for example, crackers or chips).

The lesson is just one example of what kids are learning every Monday and Wednesday before school at Billie Martinez Elementary School.

The Build Our Kids’ Success program that teaches healthy eating and exercise is thanks to University of Northern Colorado faculty researcher Megan Babkes Stellino and her students.

The program is funded by a grant through the Active Schools Acceleration Project of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign.

“Physical activity helps with cognitive function,” said Sarah Paul, an athletic training major at UNC. “It gets the wiggles out and gets them moving. They are more focused and better prepared.”

Paul and several other UNC students have been leading a group of 12 or so kindergarten through fifth-graders twice a week before school in non-competitive physical activities and games. They also teach lifelong fitness skills such as learning proper techniques for exercise movements.

“Holy cow these are hard,” one boy said as the group finished up its warm-ups with a round of burpees.

“Is there going to be hip-hop?” A girl asked when one of the instructors said they would be running to music.

“It exposes them to physical activity in a way that is fun,” Paul said. “We use games to build on foundational skills that they can continue to do throughout their life.”

Martinez was chosen as a site for the grant because Paul, whose mother is a teacher at the school, had worked with the school on another program, Girls on the Run. She knew the need for more physical fitness at the school. It took a while, however, for the program to take off.

“Last semester it was one of those things, build it and they might not come,” she said with a laugh. “But this semester, the kids who have come have been pretty consistent.”

“It is the coolest thing I have done since I moved here,” said Janelle Beilman, a master’s student in social psychology of sports and physical activity. “We were talking over winter break about how weird it was not being here. It has become just such a routine.”

Katelyn Johnson, also a master’s student in social psychology of sports and physical activity, said it benefits not just the kids, but the adults as well.

“It’s worthwhile for them,” she said. “But it’s fun for us to work out with them, too. And it’s really cute when they recognize you when they see you in the hall.”

Paul said the project is a win-win for Greeley-Evans School District 6 and UNC.

“It’s neat to create these relationships with UNC and academia,” she said. “We are like six blocks away and rarely do the two worlds collide. For us to come here not only helps give them motivation to lead a healthy life, but it also gives them something to look forward to in college and showing them what they can attain.”

Sherrie Peif covers education for The Tribune. If you have an idea for a feature, contact Sherrie at (970) 392-5632, by email at speif@greeleytribune.com. Follow her on twitter @sherriepeif.